Celebrate Innovation in Digital Learning: The WCET Outstanding Work (WOW) Award

The WCET Outstanding Work (WOW) Award honors exceptional initiatives by member institutions and organizations that leverage innovative digital solutions to address pressing educational challenges. Since 2004, this prestigious award has showcased projects that enhance learner success and advance the field of digital learning

To highlight outstanding contributions to digital learning in higher education, we invite our members to nominate exceptional work for a WOW Award. Show us how your organization or institution is using digital learning and technology to drive transformation and enhance learner success. We can’t wait to be wowed!

2026 Nominations

Nomination Details

Timeline:

Eligibility: Open to WCET member institutions and organizations in good standing. Check our list of members or join us and become a WCET member now!

The nomination form will include questions similar to the following:

1. How has the nominated project/initiative/program, etc., positively impacted learner success, including student engagement, retention, or academic performance?
2. How has the nominee leveraged technology or digital learning tools to address specific educational challenges?
3. Can the work be replicated, scaled, or sustained across institutions or contexts?
4. How does the nomination align with WCET’s mission, vision, and values?

Judging and Notification

The WOW Awards Committee, comprised of WCET member volunteers, will review all nominations and will select the recipients. The Committee may grant up to three awards and reserves the right to grant fewer.

Judges will review submissions regarding the innovative nature of the digital learning initiative/project and its impact in higher education.

Awardees will:

• Receive a digital WOW Award to display electronically on your website and/or social media.
• Be invited to submit a guest post on WCET Frontiers.
• Be honored at the Awards Celebration Luncheon during the WCET Annual Conference.
• Be awarded a plaque during the Awards Celebration.
• Be featured in a national press release with the winners of the WCET awards.

Award Timeline

Please note these dates are approximate.

• April to May 8, 2026: Nomination Submission Period
• May 2026: Judging Period
• Week of June 8: Final Award Notifications
• Week of September 7: Awardee project overview videos due.
• October 2026: Awardees honored at the WCET Annual Conference

Have questions? We’re here to help. Contact us at wcetinfo@wiche.edu.

Past WOW Award Winners

See the innovative work addressing important higher education challenges recognized by past WOW awardees in our full list of previous recipients.